Manufacturing processes or the like often require goods to be moved from a first area and placed in a different area for processing or for use. In the past, these “pick and place” tasks were performed by humans positioned near a conveyor belt, for example. When a certain item was sighted on the conveyor belt, the person would manually reach for the item on the belt, remove the item from the belt, and place the item in another location. This location may be another conveyor belt, a box, or another location so the item can be stored or put to further use.
This manual “pick and place” technique has its disadvantages, as the work can be tedious and stressful for a human worker. Additionally, this process is often dangerous as the human workers are near heavy, active machinery.
In an attempt to overcome these disadvantages, “pick and place” processes were automated some time ago. Common automated techniques involve multiple robotic manipulators (arms) with multiple degrees of freedom positioned near a conveyor belt or other locations in which items need to be gathered. These manipulators often include an end effector device to grab the items, such as a claw or other hand-like device.
These automated robotic manipulators also have disadvantages. For example, scaling such an installation may require a significant amount of space along a conveyor belt and may be limited by the length of the belt. Additionally, these robotic manipulators typically require several joints to enable multiple degrees of motion, and these joints may be difficult to clean and maintain. Spider arm configurations, for example, often break under load and can be difficult to clean. This inevitably leads to corrosion and contamination, thus requiring maintenance and replacement.
A need exists, therefore, for a picking apparatus and method that overcomes the above-mentioned deficiencies.